This popped up as a result of a comment in the U2 thread where it focused my mind on how many records I love despite what might be called errr not Shakespearean poetry in a song. There's millions of 'em! So, here's your opportunity to out yourself - a song you love even though the lyrics might be a bit silly or dodgy.... :D

 

Here's an ancient one of mine I already mentioned, pure Bubblegum, and ridiculed at the time :lol:

 

"Yummy Yummy Yummy I got love in my tummy, and I feel like loving you" what's not to love...!

 

 

 

I love Blinded By The Light but can never make sense of the lyrics. For example.

"And go-kart Mozart was checkin' out the weather chart To see if it was safe outside

And little Early-Pearly came by in his curly-wurly

And asked me if I needed a ride "

I love love love Cranberries and Dolores was one of the best singers ever

but some of the lyrics... just randomly heard Animal Instinct on a bus yesterday

and it's a great melody... but those lyrics...

 

"suddenly something has happened to me... while I was having a cup of tea"

 

:D

 

mention of "tea" kinda ruins all songs, see Dido-Thank You :D

'Lovestruck' by Madness has some utterly ridiculous lyrics, but I find that's part of its charm.

I love Blinded By The Light but can never make sense of the lyrics. For example.

"And go-kart Mozart was checkin' out the weather chart To see if it was safe outside

And little Early-Pearly came by in his curly-wurly

And asked me if I needed a ride "

 

As it's written by Springsteen there's always more to it and a curly-wurly is apparently a New Jersey expression for a fancy car. Many of the lyrics actually make sense when you look in to them

^yes, that's not bad songwriting but cryptic songwriting, same with many others. take Tori Amos, you take any lyric out of context and it never makes sense, but if someone explains it to you, put it into context, then it all makes sense.

some goodies here, love Blinded By The Light and I'd always been mystified by those lyrics too - so was Early-Pearly a real nickname for a mate or made up to rhyme with curly wurly? :D

 

Tea does tend to sound twee in songs :lol: Even this twee period 60's song, and it's even using the posh meaning of Tea (ie afternoon snack and cuppa, which of course is "dinner" to Northern folk, quite rightly). Maurice Gibb produced this Aussie USA hit:

 

 

I like it. It may or not be Kitsch it's straddling that tightrope, a term used in Art for Naff, essentially. But Kitsch can still be Art... :)

 

Madness are great, they sing what they live, a very British charm. :D

Rapture by Blondie is good but the rap is nonsensical.

 

Tin tin included Steve Kipner who later wrote some classics like Physical & Hard habit to break.

some goodies here, love Blinded By The Light and I'd always been mystified by those lyrics too - so was Early-Pearly a real nickname for a mate or made up to rhyme with curly wurly? :D

 

 

Bruce himself has said the song is based on his experiences as a budding singer in the NJ area and many of the characters are based on people he knew so maybe. It's also more a collection of images than a coherent narrative. There was a VH1 thing where he explained it sometime ago.

 

Found some bits online -

 

Bruce himself has basically explained what the song means during a VH1 special. And his explanation is that the song doesn’t really have an overall meaning. Each line has a meaning, but the lines don’t all connect to form a coherent story.

 

 

 

In other words, the song is basically a collection of different kinds of imagery from Bruce’s life. He was heavily inspired by Bod Dylan and the song has a very Dylanesque feel overall. But unlike Dylan, the various images do not come together to form a larger whole. That is why Springsteen’s version of the song was never successful.

 

In addition, Bruce admits to using a rhyming dictionary to write this song. That is why there are so many rhyming words that sometimes feel a little strange together. At the same time, it does lend the song a kind of poetic quality, similar to Dylan’s tunes.

 

Since there is no overall meaning to the song, let’s take a look at what some of the individual lines mean. After that, well look at an interesting alternate theory concerning the meaning.

 

Because even though Bruce himself has said there is no rea meaning behind the song, that has not stopped fans from reading a meaning into it anyway.

 

 

 

Meaning Of Individual Parts

As mentioned, everything in the song is drawn from something in Bruce’s life. IT’s just that those things are not related. Let’s take a look at some of them.

 

 

 

Madman drummers

This phrase in the very first line of the song refers to Vinnie Lopez, whose nickname was “Mad Dog” Vinnie was the original drummer of Bruce’s E-Street Band.

 

Indians in the summer

Growing up, Springsteen played L:ittle League baseball and the team he played on was called the Indians. They played in the summer.

 

Teenage diplomat

Bruce has said he was referring to himself here.

 

In the dumps with the mumps

Bruce was once sick with the mumps when he was younger.

 

Boulder on my shoulder

Bruce considers himself to have a large chip on his shoulder. It’s a boulder, because it rhymes (thank you, rhyming dictionary).

 

Some all hot, half-shot, heading for a hot spot, snapping fingers clapping his hands

This is about being a know-it-all when younger, who in actuality, does not know much about anything.

 

Cut loose like a deuce

The “deuce” here refers to a “little deuce coup, which is a two-seater hot rod.

 

Silicone sister

This is obviously a reference to breast implants, which comes from a stripper at a local strip club in Asbury Park. Bruce believes it may be the first ever mention of breast augmentation surgery in popular music.

 

 

 

I'm sure there's more somewhere

Madness are great, they sing what they live, a very British charm. :D

 

 

Are you saying that Madness were IRA informants? :o

 

Just kidding, Michael Caine is a bit of an exception lyrically

mention of "tea" kinda ruins all songs, see Dido-Thank You :D

 

Unless it's Alex Harvey doing The Boston Tea Party

The tea lyric in Thank You really isn’t bad? It fits pretty neatly with the first verse imo